So I have been out of work for several years due to being a single parent with no childcare. Now that my daughter is in kindergarten, I have gotten a regular job as a dishwasher at a non-chain restaurant. The 2 owners are also chefs and they work literally right beside me. But there are 27 other employees who are not owners and thus are being exploited. Everyone’s general mindset there is benefitting the company as much as possible. They associate success of the business with the potential for pay raises, promotions, etc.

My mindset is a communist worker working directly alongside the people exploiting everyone else’s labor. It’s important to note the owners in this establishment don’t do nothing at all, they are the head chefs and do a lot of work every day, but I can’t ignore the fact that they tale home the majority of the profits while everyone else is beholden to a standard hourly wage ($12/hr)

My problem is I am very unfamiliar with the restaurant industry and its relation to labor organizing. Are unions a thing in restaurants? Is it more risky to approach labor organizing when the owner is part of that labor? Am I looking at this from an entirely wrong angle?

I’m just not sure what steps, if any, I should consider here. I spend all day listening to Marxist theory through headphones while washing dishes, but I can’t figure out how to approach this situation. Please give me some starting points if you can. It’s also probably relevant to note that I work in a state with Right To Work and At Will Employment laws